Off-duty officer kills girlfriend, self

The New Mexico State Police released details late Friday afternoon on a homicide investigation underway since Thursday, when off-duty Silver City Police Capt. Marcello Contreras, 41, shot and killed his girlfriend, Nikki Bascom, 31, before shooting himself.

According to a statement from State Police Sgt. Elizabeth Armijo, the Silver City Police Department arrived first on the scene in the 1300 block of Serinna Court. Grant County sheriff’s deputies followed before the investigation was turned over to the state.

Investigators learned that Contreras and Bascom were in a relationship, but in the process of separating, according to the release.

At around 4 p.m., Armijo said, a male witness observed Contreras arrive at the house. The witness then approached Contreras, only to have the off-duty officer pull a gun on him. Contreras demanded to speak to Bascom, who was sitting inside a vehicle in the driveway.

The release said that the witness negotiated with Contreras, convincing him to surrender the firearm, upon which Bascom exited the vehicle.

Contreras then produced a second firearm and fatally shot Bascom several times. He then turned the firearm on himself.

The witness called 911 and attempted to provide rescue aid to Bascom, but both she and Contreras died at the scene.

On Thursday, Silver City Police Chief Ed Reynolds told the Daily Press that his department had turned the investigation over to the State Police. Then, on Friday, despite routinely providing the Daily Press with daily police blotters for years, the SCPD did not send a blotter from Thursday. Police officials at the Thomas Ryan Public Safety Building said that Reynolds is responsible for redacting and faxing the blotter, and he was out for the day.

Repeated phone calls from the Daily Press to Reynolds’ cell phone Thursday were connected for one second each before the receiver ended the calls without response.

Thursday’s Grant County Sheriff’s Department police blotters provided to the Daily Press appeared to be incomplete, and Sheriff Raul Villanueva could not be reached for further information.

The investigation by New Mexico State Police special investigators continues.